The Bright Future of Photonics in the Netherlands

Imagine a world where life-saving cardiology prevention could be done with the use of light. This isn’t futuristic thinking, it’s #photonics. Using intravascular imaging, doctors can diagnose, prevent, and even potentially treat cardiovascular illness. When I visited Quebec-based photonics company Haemonetics Québec as part of a #Dutch innovation mission in November 2022, I was impressed by their OptoWire device for coronary blockage assessment for interventional cardiology. Opsens has chosen the #Netherlands and its rich photonics ecosystem to expand its activities to the European Union.

Here is a backgrounder for those not entirely familiar with photonics (and some fun facts to impress people with at your next dinner party). Photonics is the science and technology of generating, controlling, and detecting photons, which are the basic units of light. In other words, photonics is the science of doing cool things with the stuff that you mostly knew for coming out of light bulbs. An important subsection of photonics is integrated photonics: combining the different elements of photonics on a device quite similar to a computer chip or integrated circuit.

Photonics has a vast array of applications. For one thing, with it you can harness the power of light to transmit information. This makes it a critical component of modern communication systems and data transfer. Photonics is revolutionizing many areas of modern society such as medicine, defense, telecommunications, and entertainment.

In short, photonics is poised to transform numerous fields and industries in much the same way that semiconductors, the materials that computer chips are made of, did in the late 20th century. And the Netherlands is one of the global players where this ‘lightning’ is striking big. ?

Dutch Photonics: Driving Growth and Innovation

One of the world’s leading countries in photonics, the Netherlands is heavily invested in photonics R&D, with over 60 companies active in the field and a public-private investment of more than $1.1B. This strong ecosystem, which includes collaboration between universities, private companies, and the public sector, is also collaborating globally with other leading photonics countries, including Canada, Japan and the United States.

A global lens and cooperation are critical to the development and success of the photonics ecosystem. One of the international collaborations that the Netherlands has participated in recently was a Dutch photonics innovation mission to Quebec, Canada. This mission was a great opportunity to investigate mutual opportunities for further collaboration.

Earlier this year, the Netherlands was also present at the world’s leading photonics conference, Photonics West. At this year’s event, Dutch ecosystem organization PhotonDelta signed a memorandum of understanding with Optonique , their counterpart in Quebec.

Our countries are well matched. The Netherlands is home to many of the world’s leading #semiconductor companies, including ASML and NXP, and integrated photonics is the next step in the evolution of microchips.

Some of the exciting innovations in photonics that are coming from Dutch companies include LioniX International , specialized in photonic integrated circuits, in which a Dutch consortium recently invested more than $3.7M. There is also PHIX Photonics Assembly , a company that specializes in assembling and enclosing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) into a compact and functional device. ?

Other Netherlands-based companies that are using photonics applications include Scinvivo B.V. and Quix . ScinVivo is using photonics to improve the lives of cancer patients with a minimally invasive imaging platform. Quix is exploring the liminal realm of photonics quantum computing with high-tech, scalable, plug-and-play integrated photonic solutions. The company recently won a 14 million euro contract to deliver a Universal Quantum Computer with integrated photonics for the German Aerospace Center (DLR) .

It's not just companies advancing photonics on their own in the Netherlands. Many are part of PhotonDelta, located at the?High Tech Campus?in Eindhoven. The Dutch photonic chip industry is more than a quarter century old and combines innovation from all components of photonics supply chains, from researchers to distributors. Meanwhile, Holland High Tech, the executive office for the High Tech Systems and Materials Top Sector, funds research and supports innovation by helping to match photonics stakeholders within business, government and education.

Sectors such as food production are also set to benefit greatly from photonics technology. Hyperspectral imaging, which is already being used in the Netherlands with the country’s largest avocado importer, Nature's Pride , can quickly check the quality and determine the ripeness of the fruits. This is a great example of how photonics is transforming agrifood.

Photonics: The Next Revolution in Business Technology

As noted, the applications of photonics are vast and varied – with enormous potential in many different industries: ?

·?????In #computing, photonics can be used in quantum computers, which promise to change the way we process information.

·?????In #healthcare, photonics is being used for medical sensing, imaging, and even treatment, enabling medical companies to provide more effective and personalized care.

·?????In #aviation, photonics is being used for sensing, and ensuring aircraft components are functioning properly.

Even though photonics is still in its early stages, this technology is rapidly gaining momentum and poised to make a significant impact on the business world. As businesses continue to rely on digital technologies for communication, data transfer, and data storage, the demand for photonics solutions is only set to increase.

Looking to learn more about the impact the Netherlands is having on the global photonics ecosystem and investment or collaboration opportunities? Connect with me at [email protected]. #InvestInHolland